The couple Ekkachai and laksana Tiranarat from Thailand must have enjoyed setting new world record of longest lip-lock of 58 hours 35 minutes and 58 seconds in 2013 in their home-country during a kissing competition on Valentine’s Day. However, a similar competition in tribal-dominated Talpahari-Simaria village in Pakur district on Saturday night last week for the first time in the history of Jharkhand left State BJP utterly upset with ruling party condemning the Opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for organising such a ‘weird’ competition in a highly locally cultured tribal society.
State BJP vice president Hemlal Murmu said during a Press conference organised exclusively on the topic in party headquarters that the event organised by JMM in presence of two of its MlAs, Simon Marandi and Stephen Marandi, was highly objectionable. He added that the party believed that it was a disgusting attempt of the JMM backed by Christian Missionaries in the area and around to turn Jharkhand into Rome (Italy) and Jerusalem (Israel) through destroying its local culture.
The party said that the event was shocking, highly condemnable and an effort of destruction of local women’s dignity who were lured kissing their husbands in front of some 5,000 audience for mere some cash in form of prize money. Murmu alleged Christian Missionaries in the area which, according to him, were consistent in their efforts of turning Santhal Pargana in a Christian dominated area with the help of JMM for its vested political interests. He also said that local administration would take appropriate and timely action in the case.
Notably, JMM MlA Simon Marandi organised a kissing competition in public in Talpahari-Dumaria village in Pakur on Saturday night last week in which around one and half dozen married tribal couples locked their lips. Though Marandi defended move by saying that tribal families were fast moving towards separation in recent times and the purpose of organizing such an event was to make local tribals aware of their social structure and responsibility towards the family. However, the BJP appeared in no mood to buy Opposition’s arguments at all.
“I see a huge conspiracy behind the event. The party will raise the issue in the Assembly which commences on Tuesday for its Winter Session, and we shall raise the demand of expulsion of both the MlAs from Assembly for their nasty efforts of destroying very ethnic and local culture of Santhals who don’t even appreciate shaking hands among their boys and girls,” said Murmu.
On a question of locals who otherwise remained so sensitive about their culture and traditions not coming out to protest against the competition yet, Murmu said that they have started coming out with burning effigies of JMM and its leaders.
“We will see more people coming out in open against such events and JMM will have to beg its pardon for what they tried to do,” said Murmu.
Meanwhile, Kendriya Sarna Samiti on Monday too condemned JMM-sponsored lip-locking competition saying that it would observe Black Day on Christmas this year if the party didn’t come out in open to beg its pardon.